


Anniversaries

by kiss_me_cassie



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-05
Updated: 2008-04-05
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:48:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiss_me_cassie/pseuds/kiss_me_cassie
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Anniversaries

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

“Josh, what are these?” Donna asked as she looked at the huge bouquet of mixed flowers on her desk.

“Flowers,” he answered with a mischievous smile that he couldn’t quite hide..

“Why?”

“It’s our anniversary, Donna. And as a man of occasion, I am celebrating by giving you flowers.”

“It is *not* our anniversary,” she whispered as she glared at him. “We didn’t… you know… until February, and this is only April.”

“Ah, but that’s not the anniversary I’m talking about,” he replied, trying to keep from grinning outright.

“Then this would be…?”

“This is the anniversary of when you started working for me.”

“Correction, Josh. I started working for you in February.”

“Maybe on your calendar, but not mine. You started working for me in February, but then you left and didn’t come back again until April. That’s the date I choose to celebrate as our anniversary.”

“You’re insane, you know that, don’t you?” she asked with a snort of derision.

“Possibly. I choose to think of it as -”

Sam chose that moment to walk by her desk. “Hey, Donna, nice flowers. Who are they from?”

“Josh,” she answered curtly.

Sam blinked a few times at her unexpected answer and then looked from one to the other. Donna looked angry and Josh looked unusually pleased with himself. “Do I really want to know?” he asked.

“We’re celebrating our anniversary,” Josh told him.

“An-anniversary?” Sam stuttered.

Josh answered, “Yes” at the same time that Donna firmly stated, “No.”

“Maybe I should just go over to CJ’s office,” Sam mumbled, not very happy at getting involved in an argument between them. There had been some rumors lately that there was something going on, but he wasn’t sure that these flowers had anything to do with it. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out.

Donna saved him from his indecision by answering his question. “Josh seems to think that I started working for him in April and has chosen to celebrate the anniversary of that date by bringing me flowers.”

“But you started working on the campaign in February,” Sam said in confusion.

“Exactly,” she said with a smug smile in Josh’s direction.

“But she left to go back to that poor excuse of a proctologist –“

“Pediatrician,” she corrected.

“Whatever. The point is, you didn’t come back to me until April,” Josh corrected with a small amount of scorn in his voice.

“He does have a point there.”

“No, he doesn’t. Our anniversary is in February. Both of them,” Donna claimed, only realizing what she had said when it was too late.

Sam looked at her with startled eyes. “Both of them? Ok, I’m definitely going to CJ’s now.” He grabbed the folders he had set down on Donna’s desk and turned to go.

Josh looked at Donna’s horrified face and quickly joined Sam on his way to CJ’s office. “Sam, I’d appreciate it if you could keep quiet about what was just mentioned back there.”

“Keep quiet? About what?” Sam asked with a wink. “You may want to warn Leo or CJ, though, before anyone else puts two and two together.”

“Thanks, pal.”

“You’re welcome.”

**********

Josh casually walked back to his office and sat behind the desk. It took Donna five seconds to follow him. She closed the door with a thud and turned to him. “What did Sam say?”

“He said not to worry. He won’t say anything.”

“Joo-ossh,” she whined. “This was supposed to be our secret, and now look what you’ve done.”

“What *I’ve* done?” he asked incredulously.

“Yes, what you’ve done. If you hadn’t gotten me those stupid flowers for our non-anniversary, I wouldn’t have gotten mad. And if I hadn’t gotten mad, I never would have blurted out something so stupid.”

“So it’s all my fault?”

“Yes.” They both stared at each other stubbornly until Josh broke the silence.

“I guess this is our first fight,” he remarked calmly.

“I guess it is.”

“I’m sorry. I was trying to do something nice for you.”

“I know. But I don’t like to be reminded of that time.” She was quiet for a few minutes and then asked, “Do you want to know why I left?”

“Honestly, Donna, I’m just grateful you came back,” he admitted.

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I left because he asked me to. I spent 5 years with this guy, Josh. I had to make sure I wasn’t throwing away a future with him on a whim. As soon as I was back in Madison, I realized it was a mistake. And then came the coup de grâce. Remember when I said I hurt my ankle slipping on the ice?” He nodded. She ducked her head and then quietly added, “I didn’t. I hurt my ankle in a car accident, and he stopped for a beer on the way to the hospital to get me.”

“You were in a car accident?”

“Yes, but –“

“Seriously, you were in a car accident?” His face registered shock. “And that dumb-ass stopped for a beer? I would never –“ Josh started.

“Yes, I know,” she agreed softly. “You are better than my old boyfriend, Joshua.”

“I’m glad you came back. I don’t want to know what my life would be like without you in it.”

“Lucky for you, you won’t have to find out.” She broke the emotional situation by getting back to business. “You’ve got staff in twenty minutes. That gives you plenty of time to read up on the gun control stats.” She plucked a bright blue file folder from the stack on his desk, handed it to him and then left the office.

**********

The day passed with relatively few problems. Several people approached Donna to ask her about the flowers, but she just smiled mysteriously and changed the subject. At the end of the day, when she was packing up her belongings, Josh came up behind her and gave her a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

She whirled around and looked at him. “Josh! Anyone could be watching.”

He smiled at her tiredly. “Nah, it’s after 11. Everyone else has gone home. You ready?”

“Almost. I just have to get these flowers that my passive-aggressive boss got me.”

“Funny. Here, let me take them for you.” He shouldered his backpack and lifted the heavy vase into his arms. She gathered up her things and they walked out to the parking garage together. She unlocked her car door and was about to get in when he stopped her. “Are you coming over tonight?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” she answered. “I just have to stop home to get a few things. I’ll meet you at your place, ok?”

“I’ll be waiting.”

**********

40 minutes later, she let herself into his apartment and noticed that it was dark, except for a soft glow coming from the bedroom. She walked in and saw Josh standing in shadows of a small bedside lamp. He was still dressed in his shirt and slacks, though he had removed his tie and jacket. In his hand, he held a single red rose. He gestured at her with the flower and remarked, “I wanted to give you roses.” He held out the rose to her and she took it. She noticed a full bouquet sitting on the dresser and placed the single bloom in the vase with the others.

Smiling, she silently closed the small space between them and kissed him. She unbuttoned his shirt and smoothed it from his shoulders. He worked her blouse free from her skirt and his hands roamed her bare back beneath the silk. They broke their kiss only to help each other undress. When they were naked, she lay across the bed and he knelt beside her. His hands skimmed along her flesh, pausing to caress her breast, her naval, the juncture of her thighs. He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue teasing all her crevices, before finally returning to her lips. Her hands eagerly explored him, touching everything. When they were both full of need, he moved above her, parting her thighs in anticipation of completing their union.

He looked down and saw her flushed skin, slightly parted lips and dreamy expression. He thought about her confession from earlier and about all the things he would have missed if she had decided to stay in Wisconsin, and his emotions overwhelmed him. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I love you, Donnatella.”

Her blue eyes flew open and stared into his terrified brown ones. In a panic, he crushed his mouth to hers, cutting off any words she might have spoken. His tongue swept inside to taste her. He rocked his body against her, distracting her with the feel of his erection pressing into her soft flesh. She moaned at the contact and arched her hips up into him. He slammed into her and they both cried out. The sex was primal and needy and not at all gentle. He felt her fingernails rake against his back and his fingers left bruises where they clutched at her hips. He pumped into her over and over again, until they both came, shuddering with the intensity of their feelings.

Panting, physically satisfied but emotionally unsure, he pulled out of her and rolled to his back. He reached out his arm and gathered her snug against his side. He felt a hot, wet tear splash against his chest and he hugged her a little tighter. “I’m sorry… I didn’t… it was too rough,” he began apologetically.

“No… it’s fine… it was… I’m not sure what to say,” she admitted. “You said… and I –“ she stopped mid-sentence and her tears started flowing freely. He felt her body tremble against his.

“I’m so sorry… I’m not good at relationships. It’s like I missed something. Every – everybody seems to know what to do when they’re in a relationship. A lot of other people, anyway. But I don’t know how….” His voice trailed away and then he started to speak again. “I’m sorry if what I said bothered you… or if it was too soon… or if you don’t feel -"

She raised herself up on an elbow and stopped his words with a small kiss. “Joshua… you really don’t get it, do you?” she said, and he could see that she was smiling through her tears. “I love you, too.”


End file.
